The impacts of vehicle emissions are most visible in cities. With more vehicles polluting the air, higher density populations exposed to the poor air quality, and buildings that prevent the dissipation of emissions, these impacts are greatly compounded.

Cities in the US, the EU and Japan have very tough regulations on vehicle emissions yet still suffer from air quality problems, due to the enormous volumes of traffic.

Cities in the developing world that have far less traffic still experience substantial problems, due to factors such as: less stringent (or absent) emissions regulations; higher numbers of older and poorly maintained vehicles; congested driving conditions; and poor fuel quality.

The most severe air quality is typically found in quickly developing cities – such as Beijing, Bangkok, Mexico City and Jakarta – where economic growth drives transport growth, but stricter emissions regulations have not yet been put in place.

Below you will find some examples of estimated health impacts of vehicle emissions from cities around the world.

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and has a population of approximately 10.9 million. The air quality is poor, with an annual average suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration of 103 mg/m3 (compared to the recommended 50 mg/m3 in the EU). Furthermore, in 2000, Jakarta was still using leaded petrol. Below is an estimate of health impacts from poor air quality in Jakarta.